46.6 million tourists and €63.8bn of spending: rental homes are gaining ground on hotels

Foreign tourism in Spain closed the first half of 2026 with 46.6 million visitors, 4.6% more than a year earlier, and spending of €63.8bn, up 7%. But for anyone who owns a property on the coast the relevant figure is a different one, buried in the breakdown: tourists staying in rental homes grew 10.1%, while those choosing hotels fell 1.7%.

That divergence is the story. The tourism pie is growing and, within it, accommodation in private homes is growing much faster than hotels. Andalusia received 7.3 million tourists over the half-year and the United Kingdom remains the leading source market with 9.9 million visitors: precisely the profile that underpins the Costa del Sol market.

How many tourists did Spain receive in the first half of 2026?

The figures from Spain's National Statistics Institute confirm that the tourism cycle is still expanding, and that money is growing faster than visitor numbers. In other words, it is not just that more tourists are coming: the tourists who come are spending more.

Why are rentals growing while hotels decline?

The breakdown by accommodation type is the most interesting part of the report and the least discussed. Market accommodation as a whole, meaning the kind you pay for, fell 0.6%. Within it, hotels retreated and rental homes advanced by double digits. And non-market accommodation, essentially homes of family and friends or the visitor's own second home, surged.

There are two readings. On one hand, travellers increasingly want space, a kitchen and independence, which an apartment provides and a hotel room does not. On the other, the 26.8% growth in non-market accommodation suggests more and more foreigners own a home in Spain, or have access to one belonging to someone close to them. Both push in the same direction: more demand for coastal housing, whether to rent or to buy.

Where do the tourists come from and which regions do they visit?

The map of origin barely shifts, and that is good news in terms of predictability. The United Kingdom keeps a considerable lead over the rest and continues to grow, while Germany and France hold steady in second and third place.

By destination, Catalonia leads the half-year with 9.6 million tourists, followed by the Canary Islands with 7.8 million and Andalusia with 7.3 million. That third place deserves context: Andalusia receives fewer tourists than Catalonia, yet it is the region that sells the most housing in Spain. Its property market does not depend only on the visitor who arrives, but on the one who decides to stay.

Shorter stays and more independent travellers

The pattern of stays is also changing. The most common length was four to seven nights, with almost 4.9 million tourists and a 1.9% increase. By contrast, stays of more than fifteen nights fell 6.9%, while same-day visitors rose 11.3%. In parallel, almost 7.1 million tourists travelled in June without a package holiday, 2.7% more, and their spending rose 2.6%.

For an owner who rents out, this has very concrete consequences: fewer long seasonal bookings, more turnover of week-long stays and a guest who organises the trip themselves and books directly. Management weighs more than it used to, but so does the margin.

What this means for holiday lets on the Costa del Sol

• Demand for tourist housing is growing faster than for hotels, which supports occupancy in well-located apartments.
• Spending is growing faster than visitor numbers: there is more room to raise your rate than to cut price and compete on volume.
• With four-to-seven-night stays dominating, turnover and cleaning become the variable that decides your real return.
• The British visitor remains number one by volume, so orienting the product and the marketing towards the English-speaking market still makes sense.
• Before buying to let, check the tourist regulations of the specific municipality: it is the factor that has changed most over the past twelve months.

That last point is today's real filter. The return on an apartment in Torremolinos, Benalmádena or Fuengirola no longer depends on occupancy alone, but on whether the building and the municipality permit tourist use. At EVS PROPERTY GROUP we check that before you sign anything, along with the actual figures for the area. If you are considering a buy-to-let on the Costa del Sol, get in touch and we will go through the numbers.

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